Video Game ROM Site Bows Out Fearing Nintendo Legal Action

EmuParadise announced it will no longer supply digital copies of retro video games, two weeks after Nintendo used a lawsuit to effectively shut down a separate pair of ROM sites.

Fans of retro video games will no longer be able to download them from EmuParadise. On Wednesday, the website pulled down its extensive library of ROMs, fearing legal action from Nintendo.

"It's not worth it for us to risk potentially disastrous consequences," the website's owner posted. "I cannot in good conscience risk the futures of our team members who have contributed to the site through the years."

EmuParadise is throwing in the towel after Nintendo forced the shut down of two separate ROM providing websites, LoveROMs.com and LoveRETRO.co. The company did so by suing the Arizona man that allegedly owns them, claiming video game piracy. Nintendo is now demanding he pay as much as $150,000 for each pirated title.

The prospect of facing a similar legal battle is a big reason why EmuParadise is bowing out from supplying ROMs, the digital copies of video games. "We had been thinking about it for a while but (Nintendo's lawsuit) definitely helped us make the decision," the website's owner told PCMag.

EmuParadise was started 18 years ago, and has survived previous attempts to hamper the site. Last year, for instance, it stopped supplying certain Nintendo ROMs over an apparent legal threat from the video game maker. "From receiving threatening letters in the early days to our hosts suddenly shutting down our servers due to complaints, we've seen it all," the website's owner wrote.

"When I started EmuParadise things could have gone either way," the owner added. "But right now the direction they are going in could not be more than clear."

The announcement is a win for Nintendo, which has been selling revamped versions of its old NES and SNES video game consoles. The company has also made digital versions of its classic games available through the Nintendo Virtual Console service, which works on the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS.

However, fans of (pirated) retro video games will surely weep. EmuParadise had gained a reputation as a provider of ROM downloads that were free from malware. The good news is that the website will continue supplying emulators, the software that can run the ROMs. EmuParadise is also working on "new plans" to steer the website in a different direction.

About the Author

Michael has been a PCMag reporter since October 2017. He previously covered tech news in China from 2010 to 2015, before moving to San Francisco to write about cybersecurity. His Twitter is @Michael_Kan. See Full Bio